


Counting Shoulders

by gyroscopefour



Series: The Adventures of Altan Lavellan [10]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Asexual Character, Asexual Inquisitor (Dragon Age), Asexuality, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-16
Updated: 2020-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:14:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23168317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gyroscopefour/pseuds/gyroscopefour
Summary: Dorian and Altan have a deep conversation with lots and lots of fluff on the side.
Relationships: Male Inquisitor/Dorian Pavus, Male Lavellan/Dorian Pavus
Series: The Adventures of Altan Lavellan [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1551547
Kudos: 24





	Counting Shoulders

Altan pressed a kiss to Dorian’s shoulder, marvelling at the softness of his skin. They were sitting side by side in the bath, letting their muscles relax in the steamy water. The scent of Altan’s favorite floral soap filled the air. 

“Have you ever counted shoulders?” Dorian asked.

“I don’t even know what that means,” Altan said.

“Look. Like this. One,” he pointed to his shoulder. “Two, three.” He pointed to his other shoulder and then to Altan’s. “Four.” He reached behind Altan and settled his arm around his shoulders. 

Altan laughed, radiant and happy. “That’s clever.” He leaned into Dorian’s side. He felt safe, loved. This man knew him fully and wanted to be close to him. He felt that giddy tightness in his chest.

“I love you.”

Dorian smiled at him, pressing their foreheads together and closing his eyes. He sighed deeply, exhaling a long relaxed breath that blew cool over Altan’s skin and started ripples in the water. 

They shared a brief kiss. “You seem far away. Where did your mind go?”

Dorian pulled back a little. “I’m just thinking about everything that has led me to you. My life could have gone a hundred ways, but it brought me here.”

“Is there anything you would do differently?”

“I have my share of regrets, but I don’t know that I could bring myself to change them. I would be afraid it would take me away from you.”

“You can’t get rid of me that easily,” Altan said with a small smile. “I hope you don’t regret anything too much.”

“Not too many things. The worst ones are all related to youthful impulsiveness.”

“Do you regret that I’m not interested in sex?”

Dorian stiffened a bit. “What do you mean?”

“If there was some kind of spell, something that would make me interested, would you want me to do it?”

Dorian was quiet. He was quiet for a long moment. Altan could feel him thinking, the cogs turning in his brain. “I would support whatever you wanted to do. It could never be my decision to make.”

Altan leaned into him, squeezing his hand reassuringly. “That means a lot. More than you know.”

Dorian cleared his throat. “If there was a spell that made me disinterested, would you want that for me?”

“No.” Altan chewed his lip, trying to conjure up the words to express his feelings. “Your experiences make you who you are. To take away that part of you would be selfish and vain. I wouldn’t change a thing about you.”

“Nothing?”

“Absolutely nothing. Why? Is there something you would change about me?”

“Well, you do snore a bit.”

They chuckled, brushing their noses together, then their lips. “I’ll make sure to snore more quietly tonight.” He got up, reaching for his towel. “Come on, the water is getting cold.”

“I could warm it up?”

“A sweet offer, but I could have warmed it myself if I wanted. I’m getting waterlogged.” He waved his wrinkled fingertips at Dorian.

Dorian got up too and opened the drain. Altan handed him a towel which he wrapped around his waist. The water droplets beaded up on his pecs, rolling over the hard planes of his abs.

“You’re perfect,” Altan said. The love was evident on his face.

Dorian took his chin and tilted his head up to kiss him.

“So beautiful,” Altan murmured.

“The things you say.”

Altan pulled him down for a kiss. Their bare chests brushed together, filling him with a sense of intimacy. He put his hands on Dorian’s hips, gripping them firmly and pulling him half a step closer.

Dorian leaned his forehead on Altan’s. Altan closed his eyes, a smile still on his face. 

“Are you tired?”

Altan nodded.

Dorian picked him up, and Altan clung to his neck. “Let’s get you to bed.”

“Dorian, my towel!” It slid down below his waist, bunching up around his hips. 

“Oh, hush. You’re fine.” Dorian dropped him on the bed and moved to the dresser to get Altan’s favorite sleep pants. He handed them to Altan, who slipped them on and then used his towel to dry his chest and shoulders. 

Dorian got his own favorite pair of lightweight breeches and slipped them on before sliding under the covers. Altan pressed himself to Dorian’s back, kissing him on the spine.

“Have you ever counted hip bones?” Altan asked.

“Hip bones?”

“Like this. One,” he tapped his own hip. “Two, three.” He tapped his other hip and then move his hand to Dorian’s waist, fingers grazing over his iliac crest. “Four.” His hand settled on Dorian’s hip, arm wrapped around him and pulling him securely against Altan’s chest.

“Clever.” Dorian smiled. “Now if only that cleverness could stop your snoring.”

“I’m sure I can come up with something, given enough time.”


End file.
